Deliciously Daugherty

Oh the Joys of Blogging

2012-02-14T11:40:00.000-08:00

As I tried to update a picture on the side of the ole bloggity blog, I was informed that I have run out of storage space and would have to purchase extra... say what?

Yep. Turns out that I have loaded well over 1000 pictures on the blog and cannot upload anymore. Needless to say, I am bummed. I don't want to pay $5 a year for more storage, knowing that eventually, it will get full. Now I see that uploading a gazillion pictures for one post is a bad idea.

I have a few options.
1. I can purchase more storage. This is not ideal since I'd rather not pay for my online fun.
2. I can go back through my older posts and start deleting pictures. This too is not ideal since I sometimes like to go back through my older posts and reminisce. Hey, maybe other people do too...I don't know.
3. I can go through my posts that have TONS of pictures and delete some of those. This is an okay option considering that I really don't have to post 50 pictures from Christmas.

However, I am at a loss because I don't really know what I want to do yet. If anyone has suggestions, please, help a sister out! Until then...well...I don't know. No one really wants to know what I'm thinking about. They just want to see my cute kids. Hee, hee.

Reflection and Venting...or Venting and Reflection

2012-02-11T15:59:00.000-08:00

For most of the afternoon, I have heard nothing but Piper and Samantha fighting with each other. Screaming. Cries of pain. Cries of anger. Crying because so and so took this and that away from me. Punching and hitting, pinching and kicking. Time out worked for the time being, but man. I am getting tired of it. Not to mention that Scarlet likes to scream just for the sheer pleasure of it.

But I have my chai and I've been keeping my temper, which is not easy for me to do. I get angry so quickly and that tends to loosen my tongue. However, it says in James 1:19, it says that I must to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger. It's harder to put into use than the thought of it, but I think I've done okay...for one hour of the day. Let's see how I am by 8 tonight!

Oh The Horror...

2012-02-08T19:07:00.000-08:00

Ever since Bryce and I even CONSIDERED having children, the thought of them breaking or chipping their teeth has haunted me.

Why? Because Bryce broke his front teeth 3 times before he was even 3. Scares the poop out of ya, doesn't it?

When Piper kept bashing her teeth, I thought for sure they were going to break or fall out. Nah. They just turned a different color and are crooked now. Still cute and still stand-able.

But this, sigh, this makes me sick:

Yep. Big ole' chip out of the front tooth of my sweet Scarly. Oh the horror when I saw that it was chipped. And if I had known Saturday night to look for the missing part, they could've glued it back on. But I didn't notice for a whole freakin' day! 'Cause she's a baby! She doesn't smile with her teeth yet. And they're still growing in! She only has 6 (had??? I guess it's 5 1/2 now).

The dentist said she was really lucky because the chip almost got to her nerve. Then, it would have been a lot worse than it is now. They can cap it, but Bryce and I decided to wait until she's 2 and a little more steady on her feet.

I've been calling her "Chippy" to try and lighten my sorrow...but I don't think it's working. Every time I see the chip, I want to start crying. Thankfully, I have a friend who is well-versed in the sorrow of baby teeth; you should check THIS out.

We were at a friend's house when she was toddling around, fell down and started crying. I immediately handed her over to Daddy when I saw her lip was bleeding. But it wasn't just a bloody lip...it was a gash. It was nasty to look at and I felt horrible for her. Did I even think of looking at her teeth? No!

So, I'm hoping that over the next few days "Chippy" will grow on me.

My Thoughts...

2012-02-01T14:43:00.000-08:00

This whole 30 Days, 30 Posts project was quite an ordeal.

Here's what I liked about it:

I got projects completed that were sorely needing completion.
It motivated me to do menial things that I should have been doing/done.
It gave me a sense of accomplishment when I surveyed the completed project.
I also liked crossing it off of my list.
Motivating others to complete some of their projects.
It reminded me of other projects I'd like to get done in the next month or so.

What I didn't like:

Feeling rushed to complete certain projects by a looming deadline.
Feelings of disappointment when I saw that a certain project(s) would not be completed in time.
Some of the projects were a disaster.
Not spending as much time with my hubby due to these projects taking up our "alone time".

I've decided that maybe producing a much smaller list of things to do would work better for me. The projects were time-consuming, they needed more energy than I wanted to give/needed to give; overall, a pain in the neck. But it worked. I got stuff done.

I'm producing a list of 5 big things I'd like to complete during the month of February. And no, this list is not going to get published. I don't need to publicize my life to that extent...maybe. Anyhow, 5 big things and a few menial things that I would like to get into the habit of doing.

My final thought? It was fun, but waaaaaaaaay too much "extra" stress. Not that I stressed over everything, but I came close a few times.

Day THIRTY: It is DONE.

2012-01-31T21:32:00.000-08:00

Well...I will honestly say that this whole 30 day, 30 posts challenge thing was rough. I don't think I ever actually stressed over getting stuff done, but I came close a few times.

But, I'll give my thoughts tomorrow. Today, I present you with the things I accomplished:

1. Hang up my new paintings in my bedroom.
      I love having paintings in my room. I still have a lot of walls to cover, but at least there's something.
3. Donate Piper's hair.
   Only took me 2 months!
4. Re-organize my closet floor.
   I can actually put my shoes away AND hang up my clothes. Sweet.
5. Paint a picture.
   Not entirely happy with it, but whatever. It will hang up on my wall until I deem it necessary to remove.
6. Take family pictures.
   Loved, loved, LOVED these. Can't wait to show you guys more.
7. Make my photo albums from 2011.
   This is always a stressful project, which is why I got it done immediately. They are now proudly displayed in the living room.
8. Finish Scarlet's pregnancy scrapbook.
   Um, only took me over a year. Seriously.
9. Make myself a skirt.
   Wanna read more about this? Go here. And my skirt can suck an egg.
10. Clean off my desk.
   And still have to consistently do this every other day or so. Right now...it's getting scary.
12. Put away the Christmas decorations.
   Still happy this was done.
13. Buy an "okay" bookshelf for $10 or less.
   Welllll, I ended up spending $16 and it's from Wal-Mart, but it was bought with a gift card! And...it's still in it's box...in the garage.
14. Paint a picture frame black.
   Done and done.
15. Actually take my "Donation Basket" to the D.I.
   Never EVER letting it get that big EVER again.
16. Soak ALL of the clothes in my laundry room.
   Everything DID soak...there's just some items I need to try again on.
17. Paint my toenails.
   Annnnd they need to be done again.
20. Go through my books.
   This was fun. I should visit my "library" more often.
21. Clean the crayon drawings off of Sam and Piper's wall.
   And this took me over 6 months...at least. I kind of miss it.
22. Fix Scarlet's curtains.
   Bryce actually did this one, but whatever.
23. Read 2 books of the Bible.
   This was refreshing and something I need to be better about anyways.
25. Whiten my teeth.
   I gots some pearly whites!
26. Organize photos for Samantha's scrapbook.
   I don't know when I'll actually do the book, but it'll happen.
27. Organize photos for Scarlet's scrapbook.
   See above comment.
28. Go out on a date with my hubby that is NOT at Denny's.
   We went to the Gun Barrel and I loved it.
29. Take a friend out for coffee.
   This was a nice reprieve from my children. Definitely doing this again.
30. Watch all 3 Lord of the Rings movies. Again.
   And I loved all 3 of them all over again!

A few didn't make the cut and do I feel guilty? Only about one of them.

2. Make and hang up curtains in my bedroom.
11. Bake a pie from scratch.
18. Go for a hike in Zion.
19. Get rid of the 2 TVs in our hall closet.
24. Run 1 mile.
     This is the one I feel guilty about. Really? I couldn't even run 1 mile??? Sigh. I know I'm out of shape, but come on! Slacker!

Okay, so like I said, thoughts on this project tomorrow.

Day TWENTY-NINE: Fuschia Me This?

2012-01-31T21:17:00.000-08:00

Sunday night...

Monday afternoon.

(Not that great of pics, but whatevs.)

Day TWENTY-EIGHT: Mem-or-eeeees

2012-01-29T20:03:00.000-08:00

I was looking through some pictures from last year and I found this:

Looking at this picture, I realized that Bryce and I hardly ever take "normal" pictures together. It seems that we are always in the same frame of mind and do something goofy. I like that.

Thanks, babe, for making my life fun. And thanks for suggesting that we clean our room tonight, then you camped out on the bed. Nice.

Day TWENTY-SEVEN: Three More Days

2012-01-28T20:06:00.000-08:00

Until what, you ask? Until my 30 days, 30 posts is completed.

I have many thoughts about this experiment, but I'm going to save those until February 1st.

But some highlights from today:

Getting our pictures done (it was so much fun and they're turning out so good).
Having Piper crawl in bed with me at 4 AM and actually fall asleep curled up in my arms (she said she had a nightmare...I didn't care why she was there 'cause I loved it so much).
Scarlet signing for water over and over and over...and then drank 2 sippy cups full. Hilarious. (She says "wa-wa" while she's signing.)
Laying around and watching The Muppets after dinner (did you know Sam knows most of the lyrics to the theme song?? I, uh, guess they watch it a lot...).
Finish up 2 projects today and feeling fantastic about both of them.
Driving around Diamond Valley...it was gorgeous.

Now, onto tomorrow and an awesome worship set.

Day TWENTY-SIX: Family Pic Sneak Peek!

2012-01-28T15:58:00.000-08:00

I know we look good, but come on...now we look REALLY good:

Hey everyone! Come see how good we look!

(Courtesy of the fab Jess Coffelt)

Day TWENTY-FIVE: Today is a Good Day

2012-01-26T21:17:00.000-08:00

It really is.

I'm feeling much better today than I have all week long.
Worship practice was FANTASTIC tonight (it makes me feel good about Sunday).
I finally re-organized my closet floor. I love it.
And I finally cleaned Piper & Samantha's wall of Piper's "artwork".
I'm in scrapbooking mode, so Scarlet's book is coming together nicely.
I realized that as of this moment, I have completed 20 out of my 30 things to do for January.
I am also in the middle of 6 things to do for January.
I made a great dinner tonight.
I also thoroughly enjoyed cooking dinner tonight, which was weird.
I haven't had a Coke since Thursday, which means that I must be sick for realsies, yo.
Scarlet kept wanting me to kiss her cheeks, which I loved, loved, loved.
Piper did a great job on writing her j's today (and did her workbook all by herself).
Samantha was just as sweet as can be, which is usual.

Things are just really nice right now.

I love my life.

Day TWENTY-FOUR: Why Girls Are Emotional

2012-01-25T21:33:00.000-08:00

See these?

These are lovely pictures that I took at the beginning of my skirt project.

And this:

This is where my skirt is presently.
I was so upset with the results that between me almost crying when I tried it on and Bryce trying to console me, the skirt ended up in the trash.

Is it going to stay there? No. I already have an idea to "fix" it. But it may end up in the trash again.
So, uh, that doesn't really state why girls are emotional, but I think any chick who has taken on a project she FELT would be simple and turned into some horrific monster knows exactly what I'm talking about.

Day TWENTY-THREE: Brycie

2012-01-24T13:53:00.000-08:00

I love Bryce.
I remember back when he started hanging out with me and my friends, he would always shake their hands, but he would give me a hug. Being the naive person that I was (am??), my friends would tell me that he liked me and I would, of course, deny the fact. My friend Crystal pointed out the fact about him hugging me. Only then did I realize the he might really like me.
Let's see...I was...21? Not too far out of high school, but obviously still thrilled with the fact that a guy who actually had a full-time job, owned his own car AND lived on his own liked me. I felt like I had a chance at winning the lottery.
Guess what?

I did.

Day TWENTY-TWO: Cake Overdose

2012-01-24T13:40:00.000-08:00

I'm guessing she was on a sugar high...

Day TWENTY-ONE: Date Night

2012-01-22T20:37:00.000-08:00

Last night, Bryce and I went on our first date of the year: dinner and a movie

We ate out at the Gunbarrel Restaurant. I really liked it a lot; it had really good food. It's right down the road from us, but I've never eaten there. Maybe I should suggest NOT eating at Denny's more often.

We went and saw "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo"; I really, really liked it. Yes, it had some graphic scenes, but I liked the action and I liked the plot. Rooney Mara played Lisbeth and man was she good. She was apathetic yet you couldn't help sympathizing with her. As always, Daniel Craig looked good, although I didn't like his character (Mikael) so much. He seemed to get himself into dumb situations. I haven't read the book yet, but I own it. I have another book to read before that one, so it'll probably be out on DVD before I can compare the two.

Oh, then we went to Albertson's for milk, dryer sheets and cough syrup. Somehow we always end up at the grocery store on our date nights. Weird.

So here's to a year of new eats, interesting movies and trips to the grocery store with my burb.

Day TWENTY- Frustrations

2012-01-21T12:54:00.000-08:00

Piper is driving me crazy.

There. I said it.
I love Piper to death. She's my first; my guinea pig. I'm finding that I'm becoming more inventive as I learn to deal with her drama. And believe me, it's drama.

Speaking of drama, let's talk about Scarlet. Did you know that if she becomes upset when you tell her "No" or that she can't have something, she puts her hands over her eyes, bows her head and dry sobs? Where did she learn that?

And speaking of learning, what is up with Sam and her potty time? She used to be so good about going potty and not having accidents. Lately, she's been tinkling in her undies, changing them up to 5 times a day and wearing a diaper to bed because she doesn't even try to go at night.

AND speaking of NIGHT, when will Teekie be done laying eggs? I'd like a quiet night of sleep. I'm waiting for her to climb out of her box so I can see if she spouted forth another egg...she's so noisy about it. I'm sorry if you're in labor, Teeks, but it's driving Mama crazy.

AAAAND speaking of CRAZY, did I mention that Piper is driving me crazy?

Days FOURTEEN thru NINETEEN- Keepin' On With the Keepin' On

2012-01-20T14:57:00.000-08:00

Yah, that title makes no sense to me too, but it sounded good.

WHOOOOOOOOOOSH. That was me exhaling with weariness and only one cup of chai today. This has been a long week for me. I just got back from AZ last night about 5:30, was home for an hour before worship practice. Today...this just doesn't count. I'm tired, have a scratchy throat and found out that Teekie laid a 7th egg while I was gone. SEVEN??? I thought they laid 4-6. Not only that, but the poor girly plucked her belly and one leg. She looks like a half-naked green chicken.

So AZ was nice. The weather was nice, the zoo was fun, it was great hanging out with my sisters. Shoot, I even got to see Chelsea and THAT was not planned at all! I'm glad she came over, even if it was just for 40 minutes.

I'm sure all of you who travel know how I feel- you love traveling and love where you're going. But the drive home isn't as bittersweet as you imagine it will be because you're going HOME. The only place I never want to leave is Disneyland, although with three crabby kids, even Mickey can't lighten the day.

I was in my own bed last night with Scarlet in HER own room. Everything and everyone was back on schedule. It was nice. I do wish my family lived closer though. I love hanging out with my family.

We went to the zoo:

Made a cake:

Took some pics:

Celebrated Mia's 4th birthday:

And took some more pics:

As for my 30 days of projects, I'm back in the swing of things! I hope to have some pictures of curtains to show you tomorrow.

Day THIRTEEN- Middle of the Road

2012-01-14T22:21:00.000-08:00

So tomorrow marks the middle of the month for my 30 things to do...and I'm actually half way there! I'm almost done with LOTR and I'm almost done with my photo albums. That will put me over the half way mark. But man, the stuff that's coming up the next half is going to be tough. Maybe next time I'll do the hard things first just to get them out of the way!

Day TWELVE- I Should've Said Yes

2012-01-13T16:52:00.000-08:00

It's the moment when I realize that my almost 5 year-old understands the difference between a good decision and a bad decision that I feel sad. Sad because my little girl is getting older. She is getting smarter and wiser.

She was a good girl today at Target with the promise of popcorn in the front of her mind. She specifically asked for popcorn. But it was when we were buying the popcorn that it all went downhill from there. She asked for something else that she couldn't have. I said no and explained why. She persistently argued with me, trying to persuade me to change my mind. I didn't. I bought the popcorn and she proceeded to tell me she didn't want it anymore. Although I should have just left right then and there, I didn't. I still tried to be nice. I offered to share a piece of Scarlet's pretzel with her. She looked it and said she wanted a whole pretzel.

I finally grew a backbone and said we were leaving. She was also not allowed to have any pretzel at all. I have rescinded my offer and she was done. She cried all the way through the store, all the way to the car, asking for a piece of pretzel. She cried all the way home and finally calmed down when we pulled in the driveway. She asked again for a piece of pretzel and I said no.

That's when she uttered the phrase that changed everything I thought I knew about her.

"I should've said yes."

It was uttered in such a melancholy way that it made me want to give her all the pretzels in the world. But she knew it. She knew that she should have just taken the proffered piece of pretzel when she had the chance. She knew she had made a bad decision. She actually spoke her thought out loud for all the world to hear and it made me so sad. And I love her oh so much, my sweet Piper.

Did I know that having children would be heartbreaking as well as joyous? I don't think that was the first thing I thought of when I saw the two lines on that pregnancy test. I don't think I thought of it when I saw Piper's sweet face for the first time. I think we all know, in the back of our mind, that one day our hearts are going to break but because of love. How can we possibly hold it all? I think only a mother can. Only a mother can give her heart fully to each child and still remain broken and whole at the same time.

I am so lucky to be a mother. The bestest mommy they've ever had. And that's exactly what she said.

Day ELEVEN- I'm An Addict

2012-01-12T21:56:00.000-08:00

Hi. My name is Cassandra and I'm an addict.
What is my addiction? Organizing photos.

It sounds even worse when I say it out loud; believe me. But in all seriousness, I could sit at my computer and organize, re-organize and organize photos over and over again.

So, when it came time to do my photo albums, I was beyond ecstatic. And when my orange Shutterfly box arrived via UPS, I shouted with joy. I think I scared the UPS guy. See, I had been waiting for him all day. Finally, right before dinner, he showed up. I bounded out the door and he wasn't even all the way up the steps. I told him, "I have been waiting all day for you!" I was actually talking to my box, but whatever. I don't think the UPS guy was impressed. After all, I was in pajama pants, a huge sweater, glasses, no make-up and funky hair. Nice visual, huh?

Voila! My project for last night!

That's 320 photos of pure fun.

And I'm almost done too. Now I just have to label everything....my least favorite thing to do.

Day TEN- Umm...

2012-01-12T21:48:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I really meant to post this yesterday...and didn't. So this is from YESTERDAY, not TODAY:

I honestly cannot think of anything to write about today. I have deleted this post 2 times already...wait, make that three.

I'm about halfway through my to do list for this month, but nothing exciting (although I am waiting on a package today with all my pictures for my photo album in it).

I have a trip coming up on Sunday, but there's really nothing to write about for that either, other than I'm looking forward to seeing everyone! I haven't seen two of my sisters and my nieces for almost a year.

I haven't showered yet, my hair's all crazy, Teekie is still popping out eggs (she's on #5...and I think #6 will be making an appearance by Friday with the way she is sounding) and I'm feeling lazy. I should be folding laundry, making my bed or at the very least cleaning of Scarlet's high chair. But I think I'm going to tootle around on Amazon instead.

Day NINE- Books, Books, Books

2012-01-12T21:46:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I saw this video and it made me excited to actually go through my books (which is one of my 30 things to do this month).

I used to LOVE to go through my books, organize and re-organize them; maybe by size, color, author, subject. I would stack them and re-stack them to my heart's content. Of course, that was before I had kids and even before I got married. I haven't really had the time to go through them.

This month, I wanted to make it a priority. I had stacks upon stacks of books on our desk upstairs that needed to be added into my library (which, in all honesty, there wasn't room for...that is why I'm also looking for a cheap bookshelf for the moment). I had the idea of removing all of my choir music, song books and yearbooks (and B's manuals) for right now. That gave me tons of room for the extra books. Hey, I even left room for my new Christopher Paolini book, 2 of B's Wizard Rule books and the romance book I lent out.

Anyways, here's a picture of it in all its loveliness:

I love books. I love to read. I treasure my books and would be so sad without them. And I hope that my girls love to read as much as I do.

Day EIGHT- Someone is SNEAKY

2012-01-09T21:15:00.000-08:00

While working on the computer, all I could hear was this..... nothing.
Nothing? Yep. Nothing. Until a few moments later... "Mmmm. Mmmmmmmm. Mmmmmmmmmm."
That's coming from my room, right? I look around. Nothing. I hear it again. "Mmmmmm....."
What the heck?
Then I spot it. I spot a little head. On the other side of the bed, next to the wall. Was Scarlet in here? How did I not know that?

Why? Oh, 'cause she was busy...

EATING MY LAST GOURMET CHOCOLATE THING THAT WAS ON MY NIGHTSTAND!

(Eating all that chocolate makes me thirsty.)

The little stinker! I don't know how long she was over there mowing on my chocolate, but she did and I was trying so hard not to laugh. All over my bed, all over my pillowcase, all over her.

She's so sneaky, but so cute.

And today, we also did this:

Samantha's little toesies.

Piper's bigger toesies (she wanted "rainbow").

And finally, my giant toesies!

It actually feels good to have painted toes again for some reason. I also was able to do this today too:

This frame wasn't black, but crap if I know where I put the original picture! (BTW, that's my niece Reagan...a year ago!)

I'm getting more and more things crossed off my list, but now they're getting a bit harder. I'm going to really have to make sure that I focus- for some reason, having a goals makes each day fun to see what I get done...and the girls end up having fun too.

Day SEVEN: Movie Reviews

2012-01-09T08:31:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was so chillax that I forgot to post. But really, nothing happened other than the fact that B and I watched "Burlesque"...

...don't even bother. Christina Aguilera is a horrible actress, although she sounds as fantastic as always when singing. Cher was a horrible actress AND a horrible singer. She sounded like she had a chest cold. I've always loved her throaty sound, but this was not good. Add in some sexy dancing, a cute guy with his shirt off and Eric Dane...meh.

Saturday night, we watched "Friends With Benefits".

I'm a big fan of JT and this movie was right there. It was funny, cute, Mila Kunis is freakin' adorable...I loved it, Bryce loved, my best friend Jen thought it had a little too much cussing in it (which I'm no fan of the F word, really and the big JC bombs), but other than that, it was enjoyable.

Friday night, we watched "Horrible Bosses".

If you liked it, I'm sorry; it should have been called "Horrible Movie". I couldn't even watch it. It wasn't funny, it's plot was ridiculously stupid, I hated Jennifer Aniston as a molester. It was awful. At one time I looked over and saw we were only 30 minutes into the movie and I wanted to cry. The only funny parts were the outtakes at the end.

We rented all three from Blockbuster.com. HB was B's pick, B was my pick and FWB was our pick. Needless to say, if we work together, we'll win.

Day SIX- Party Like It's HAWT

2012-01-07T23:20:00.000-08:00

Just kidding.

Samantha's birthday was short and sweet, just like her little self. She looked super cute in her new Elmo shirt. Piper was AND is insanely jealous of all the cool toys that Sam got for her birthday. We're trying to get her to understand how NOT to be selfish, but do we ever truly learn to be selfless?

Anyhow, a big thanks to Jen, Jakey & Angela for hanging out with us.

On a side note., I'm making some slow progress on a few projects at the same time. I've watched one out of three LOTR movies (Oh Sam), ordered my pictures for my 2011 Photo Albums AND for Scarlet's scrapbook. I've been looking at Craigslist for a bookshelf and have spoken to someone interested in one or both of the TVs. Sweetness. Oh, and today I took my friend Jen out for coffee to celebrate her upcoming birthday AND upcoming baby (what a fun year this is going to be).

Oh, pics? You got it:

Happy for monkeys (and looking so adorable)!

Equally happy about Snow White.

Enthralled with her Buzz backpack.

A few things Sam said about Buzz:

"Ohhh, he can't fly."

(In a low, man voice) "Hi. I'm Buh Lie-year. Do infinny and bon!"

"Howdy, howdy, howdy."

Giving Buzz some love.

Modeling the super-awesome cake I bought...from Albertson's.

The scariest face you will ever see Piper make. Ever.

I don't remember why Sam was crying...

Oh wait, it was 'cause Jakey tried to toss Sam in the air.

Yah, she doesn't like that too much.

Which one is NOT a Sing-A-Ma-Jig?

Jen & Samantha

Our "nice" picture of our little family.

Sam had fun, you had fun, we had fun.

Game Over.

Day FIVE- Sweet Samantha is 3

2012-01-06T16:14:00.000-08:00

Three years ago, we had JUST bought ice cream through the Dairy Queen drive-thru when my water broke. I thought I was peeing my pants, but a quick...test...proved me wrong. Mom and Grandma were on their way, but not close and it was, hmm, about 7:30 PM.

So we called our new, dear friend, Melissa, to come hang out with Piper until they got there. WE headed off to L&D in a hurry. We forgot playing cards, books, knitting...thankfully, we remembered the camera!

10:52 PM and sweet Samantha Ann was born; 7 lbs. 14 oz. and 21 inches long. She was so "tiny" compared to Piper as a baby. But she was sweet from the beginning and has constantly been a joy to have around (except when she's whiny...and pouting...and being mean to Scarlet...you know, those kind of things).

Newborn sweetness.

One year old cuteness!

Two year old spunkiness.

Happy 3rd Birthday, sweet Samantha Ann, with her pretty blue eyes, silky blonde hair and

"polka dots" on her nose and cheeks.

Day FOUR- A Monumental Occasion

2012-01-05T14:51:00.000-08:00

Take a good look at this picture and tell me that you wouldn't consider this a monumental occasion?

First of all, it really didn't take up that much room in the closet; my donation basket was stuck in a corner. But the pile rose and rose and rose until it was almost 5 feet tall. Not kidding.

Secondly, it took NINE bags of all sizes to gather everything together. And that was not including a full-sized comforter, 11 x 14 picture AND a diaper bag.

And lastly, it took me 30 minutes to bag everything...after I sorted it.

Next time, I'm not waiting as long as I did (which I really do want to say was 6+ months) to take stuff to donate. Ridiculous.

And among other things, another occasion to celebrate:

WE HAVE STUFF ON OUR WALLS!

Every time I walk into our bedroom, I smile because 1)My bed is made and I love having my bed made and 2)There are now paintings, lovely paintings my husband picked out just for me, hanging on our walls. They...please me.

Things are being crossed off and I like it. Maybe I'm doing the easy things first just for the fact that they are easy to accomplish, although I thought my desk would take a lot longer than it did. How did it get that messy in the first place???

Day THREE- It's the Little Things...

2012-01-04T14:08:00.000-08:00

...like getting shot in the arm with a paintball...

As I was cleaning off my desk last night, I found this:

That is Piper's hair from when we cut it back in NOVEMBER! Holy cow, it was buried on my desk. I looked at my list of things to do (you know, this) and realized that I NEEDED to get her hair donated. And I REALLY don't want to get shot in the arm with a paintball...so...yep. Donating Piper's Hair is replacing Getting Shot In The Arm With A Paintball. I can't do it. I'm a sissy.

Does this mean I'm giving up on a goal? No! If you reaaaaally think about it, getting shot by anything seems kind of Jackass-y, right? I mean, who really makes it a goal to get shot at all? Am I justifying this decision? Um, yah. Besides, every time I see Piper's braid on my desk, I think it's a rat. Who wants to live with that for another month?!

By the way, I was able to cross a few things off of my list today. Samantha and Scarlet's scrapbook photos have been organized and cleaned off my desk. A few little things and one huge accomplishment:

Ah, so much nicer. Like coming into a bedroom with a nicely made bed. Speaking of which...

Day TWO: Slow & Steady

2012-01-03T20:55:00.000-08:00

Nothing significant occurred today...my closet floor is still messy, my desk still looks like something exploded and my toenails are lacking color on 9 1/2 of them. But I did make some progress:

I completed organizing my photos for my 2011 albums.

I organized Sam's scrapbook photos.

THIS is what I'll be working on tomorrow...sheesh.

Why is it that my desk becomes a catch-all?

I do work here, you know.

Day ONE- Now You See It...

2012-01-02T21:14:00.000-08:00

...and...

now you don't!

Fill in that space with an ugly,

but comfortable, green chair

and some cute little people...

And you get a comfy living room back.

Yay! One thing is crossed off of my list and I can't be much happier than I am now. I also have been organizing the photos for my 2011 Photo Albums. Let me just say that it is SO hard. I feel like we didn't do as much last year as we did before...anyhow, Day One is completed and I have my cup of chai.

Life is good.

Oh, by the way...

Turquoise. It's in.

30 Days, 30 Posts..With A Twist

2012-01-01T20:07:00.000-08:00

Yep. This again. But I have a twist on this challenge.
Yes, 30 posts in 30 days = 1 post a day.
BUT... below you will find a list of 30 things that I intend to do this month. Some are easy, some are hard; I may be able to complete a few things in one day or one thing may take a few days.

Why this type of a challenge? Let's put it this way: I don't believe in New Year's Resolutions. They're always the same. "Lose ___ pounds" "Exercise more" "Learn to do something new"

With this challenge, I will do some things that I've never done before, completed tasks that have been needing completion. Blogging about it each day will motivate me to complete these 30 tasks by January 31st. I'm excited (and for one of them, a little scared).

Read, enjoy and let me know what you think. What would you be able to complete in 30 days?

~~1. Hang up my new paintings in my bedroom.~~
2. Make and hang up curtains in my bedroom.
~~3. Donate Piper's hair.~~
~~4. Re-organize my closet floor.~~
~~5. Paint a picture.~~
~~6. Take family pictures.~~
~~7. Make my photo albums from 2011.~~
~~8. Finish Scarlet's pregnancy scrapbook.~~
~~9. Make myself a skirt.~~
~~10. Clean off my desk.~~
11. Bake a pie from scratch.
~~12. Put away the Christmas decorations.~~
~~13. Buy an "okay" bookshelf for $10 or less.~~
~~14. Paint a picture frame black.~~
~~15. Actually take my "Donation Basket" to the D.I.~~
~~16. Soak ALL of the clothes in my laundry room.~~
~~17. Paint my toenails.~~
18. Go for a hike in Zion.
19. Get rid of the 2 TVs in our hall closet.
~~20. Go through my books.~~
~~21. Clean the crayon drawings off of Sam and Piper's wall.~~
~~22. Fix Scarlet's curtains.~~
~~23. Read 2 books of the Bible.~~
24. Run 1 mile.
~~25. Whiten my teeth.~~
~~26. Organize photos for Samantha's scrapbook.~~
~~27. Organize photos for Scarlet's scrapbook.~~
~~28. Go out on a date with my hubby that is NOT at Denny's.~~
~~29. Take a friend out for coffee.~~
~~30. Watch all 3 Lord of the Rings movies. Again.~~

Check back periodically to see what I've accomplished. I hope to have all 30 things crossed of my list by the 31st!

Christmas Morning Craziness

2011-12-30T20:35:00.000-08:00

Santa came, but we forgot to leave out cookies. I don't think he minded so much...

What did Santa leave?

Daddy got his usual gift...surprised? Nah.

Bryce kept opening his Ripley's book to a page with a picture he didn't like...

quite funny.

Mama got artwork to FINALLY hang up in her barren bedroom!

YAY (and B did a good job of coordinating the colors

with our bedset)!

Now, onto the madness of the Daugherty Family in its ENTIRETY:

So. Much. Funnnn.

Such a fun Christmas and one of the best since Eban and his family surprised Sue by coming down this year. This was the first Christmas that the Daugherty family had spent together since 2004...that's when B & I got married, folks! So 7 years in the making and it was awesome!

But....can I be glad that it's over now? Hee, hee.

Deep Breath And...GO!

2011-12-30T20:22:00.000-08:00

The title of this post describes my whole month of December. It was nothing but go, go, go. Remind me next November to rejoice in my slow schedule, if there will be one.

I had worship practices, Christmas concert practices, vocal practices, Bible study, Christmas parties, dress rehearsals, the concerts themselves (3 to be exact), Christmas Eve services (2 of those babies), Sunday mornings, children's program practices, the program itself, successful Miche party, surprise family in town and family in town for a few weeks.

As of today, life has officially slowed down; just in time to celebrate the last day of 2011.

Aaaaaaahhhh (and that is a breath of happiness...except it's through my mouth since my nostrils are plugged up).

Since becoming the worship leader at my church, I've learned a lot of things. #1 Lesson learned?

Don't schedule ANYthing else around Christmas!

Thoughts on Christmas

2011-12-22T16:19:00.000-08:00

Since Christmas is pretty much a few days away, I get to thinking about Christmases I had growing up.

Me and my sisters would go to sleep in someone's room (usually Courtney's) and wake up around 4:30 AM. No kidding...we had this insane internal alarm clock that would "boing" us wide awake that stinkin' early on Christmas morning. Of course, we'd either yell or knock on my mom's wall to ask if we could come out yet.

The answer was no.
And it was still no at 5.
And still no at 5:30.
Finally somewhere between 6 and 6:30, we'd hear my mom's bedroom door open and eventually the Christmas music would begin playing.

Hence, the tradition began: there was Christmas music playing, the smell of coffee cake in the oven; our Christmas tree was lit up and sometimes there was a video camera handy. If we happened to go outside, those Christmas lights were lit too.

We'd see our Santa gifts, left out and unwrapped. Somehow, we always knew which present belonged to which sister. We'd ooh and ahh over each other's gifts; then the wrapping paper explosion would occur. One of us would be designated to hand out the gifts, making sure that everyone had theirs. Mom would sit back and watch us, occasionally opening a gift of her own.

I always felt bad that Mom didn't have a bunch of presents to open, but now I know that she didn't care. Just as I don't care about the amount of presents I will be getting. She savored the moments, watching us widen our eyes and scream with joy. It was the best gift of all.

Now that my girls are getting older, the joy of watching them on Christmas morning is what I am anxiously awaiting. To see them open THEIR gifts and to see their reactions. Maybe we don't have the exact same traditions as I did growing up, but there will still be Christmas music playing and our tree will be lit up. Their Santa gifts will be out, but wrapped and in their special "Santa Bag". Maybe I'll make some coffee cake, maybe I won't.

And wouldn't you know that I have tears in my eyes right now. (Sissy or Female? You pick.)

I won't ever be that little kid again, anxious for Santa to come. I'm grown up now. And Piper? It saddens me to realize that the crystal illusion of Santa is really only for a few years. A few precious years where she will REALLY believe in him and have no doubt that he is real. This is probably the first year where she is understanding what is happening. And by the time she is 8 or 9, it will all be gone.

Such mixed emotions. I really am a chick, aren't I?

Let Me Get That For You

2011-12-21T09:46:00.000-08:00

Met Teekie yet?

He's very big on personal hygiene.

He'll clean your ears, pick your nose, chew on your hair;

anything to help you out.

A "What Was I Thinking" Post

2011-12-20T15:10:00.000-08:00

Seriously...

what WAS I thinking?

I think this was circa 2001, around my 20th birthday. Back then, I was an "all about me" type of person; anything to get attention, right? But really...why not just don a clown wig and get it over with? At least it would've been temporary.

Yes, as a matter of fact, I am still doing crazy color stuff to my hair. But now, it's controlled by ONE patch of hair, instead of my whole head. I do it because it's fun and I like it, not to get attention. Okay, maybe a little attention.

If I could go back to my 20 year-old self, would I change anything? You know, I'd like to think that everything I was then made me who I am now. But I am embarrassed by a lot of things I did when I was 20; stuff that I am not proud of.

Would I still be who I am today if I hadn't have done those things?

Father Christmas

2011-12-20T09:03:00.000-08:00

Another classic, brought to you by the Daugherty's:

This brings to mind the classic, "Father Christmas"...

FATHER CHRISTMAS,

GIVE US SOME MONEY

DON'T MESS AROUND WITH THOSE SILLY TOYS

WE'LL BEAT YOU UP

IF YOU DON'T HAND IT OVER

WE WANT YOUR BREAD SO DON'T MAKE US ANNOYED

GIVE ALL YOUR TOYS

TO THE LITTLE RICH BOYS

Thank you, O sweet Kinks, for making my Christmas awesome.

JUMP!

2011-12-06T21:08:00.001-08:00

When you're not sure about something,

just grab someone's hand

and

jump.

Giving Thanks

2011-12-02T22:47:00.001-08:00

You know, we had a pretty crappy (and vomity) Thanksgiving week.

It got me pretty depressed, especially since we were on our way to Arizona when it picked back up and since that meant I wouldn't be seeing my family.

I felt like that week would never be over. Yah, it's still kind of going on (you know, the gift that keeps on giving), but I realized that on the national day of giving thanks...I didn't.

Sure, when I pray every day, I thank God for my life, my husband, my awesome girls, etc. But have I really ever sat back and counted my blessings?

I really DO have a good life. Heck, I have a GREAT life.

I have an awesome husband, who supports everything I do. He loves me for who I am. He takes care of me when I'm sick and hugs me when I'm upset. He's not perfect, but he's everything I'm not.

I have three beautiful, unique and awesome daughters. Piper wants me to dance with her. Sam wants kisses and hugs. Scarlet yells "Ma" when she wants me. They love me and they don't even know it. They need me. They need my kisses to make their owies feel better. They need my lap when they are sad. And they want me. Right now, this very moment, they want me.

We live in a great house, in a beautiful city.

I have the best job of my life, leading worship, singing every week- it's what I love and what I've always wanted to do. Knowing that God is using me in ways I never would have imagined brings a happiness into my life I couldn't find anywhere else. It's a completion.

I have the best friends anyone could ask for. They genuinely care for me and are there when I need them.

I have family who, no matter how crazy things get, are still there for me. Knowing that the traditions I pass down to my kids were passed down to me makes me all that more proud of where I came from.

How can I ever be unhappy with what I have? Crappy days. Crappy weeks. Literal crap...it doesn't make any difference. Each day I get the opportunity to make a decision about my life. I can either be grateful for what I have and who I have in my life or I can be hopelessly waiting for that life I will never have.

This may not be the life that I dreamed I would have; it's better. Green hair, puke and all.

Green With Envy

2011-12-01T13:57:00.001-08:00

We'll see how long this one lasts as I am not yet quite fond of it.

But who knows? Maybe it'll grow on me...like a fungus.

My Little Elton John

2011-11-10T13:37:00.001-08:00

That's seriously who she reminded me of as soon as she walked into my bedroom:

I love you, tiny dancer.

Rollin' Thru Da Maze

2011-11-03T14:53:00.000-07:00

We took the girls out to Staheli Farms which is the coolest "pumpkin patch" we've been to. (Yah, we didn't really go to the pumpkin patch part because we didn't feel like selling Sam in to slavery for a pumpkin.)

We went three years ago when Sam was IN MAH BELL-EY and there really wasn't much for Pip to do. This year rocked. The girls loved on some animals, led us through a corn maze (don't ever follow Pip...she'd lead you into a forest fire and tell you that it was the only way out) and waited 20 minutes for some popcorn.

Although, Scarlet didn't like the goat that looked at her. Who would? I was more scared the llama was going to spit on us.

I Blue It

2011-11-03T08:03:00.000-07:00

HA!

My Thoughts On Hair

2011-11-02T13:52:00.000-07:00

Obviously, I have no issues with hair. I grow it long. I chop it off. I dye it purple. I dye it blue. I do feathers. I do extensions. I've had curly. I've had straight. I've had blonde. I've had black.

But Piper's hair? MAN.

It seriously took me, oh, like 5 or 6 months to FINALLY agree with Bryce that we needed to cut Piper's hair. What was I going to do? Let it grow down to her ankles? A real-life Rapunzel?
I kept repeating, "Yes, we're going to cut her hair soon." Then it was , "after Idaho", "after Disneyland", "after family pictures", "before family pictures"...you see what I'm talking about? Why couldn't I just commit and cut her hair? What was so terrifying about cutting Piper's hair?

I think it had something to do with no more babies. As crazy as that sounds, that's the conclusion I keep coming to.

She's my oldest; my first baby. As my mom gently puts it, my first guinea pig. Technically, we've cut her hair once, but that was to even it out (you know, it was growing in the "V" formation). But we didn't take very much off and that was before she was 2 years-old.

That's four years of growth. Four years of my life. Four years of having babies, watching them grow and change. Becoming who they are. I feel like Piper's hair was attached to the latest life decision that I had made, which was to not have any more babies. I'm 30, feeling awesome, ready to move on to the next decade of my life and enjoy it.

Yah, it sounds crazy when I put it into words, but I could not bring myself to cut Piper's hair simply because I wasn't ready to have her look older. Just as I'm not ready for Scarlet to start walking (which, by the way, she took three steps towards me while I was going potty...if I hadn't been preoccupied, I would have jumped up off the seat with a HUZZAH on my lips).

Anyways, I knew if I wasn't going to schedule it, it was never going to happen. So we scheduled it, I was nervous, but excited, I didn't cry and now Piper's looks as cute as a button. Now, I say to my silly self, "See? That wasn't so hard!"

Yep. Just wait until she asks for her first thong, then maybe I'll change my mind.

Halloween, Halloween

2011-11-02T10:34:00.000-07:00

Bumblebee, Ladybug, Witch...got 'em all up he-ah!

Piper & Samantha seemed a little more excited this year now that they knew they would get candy. Our church was putting on a Harvest Festival, so we decided to go there instead of trick-or-treating. And THAT was fine by me. The less candy, the better. Well, we let them ring OUR doorbell though.

Anyhow...they got more candy at the festival than they would have going around our neighborhood! And they had way more fun than they would have walking around our neighborhood. As Piper would have said, "My legs are getting all wiggly."

So enjoy these photos; I had so much fun dressing my girls up.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

What's All The Hubbub About?

2011-11-01T11:13:00.000-07:00

Good-bye 'Tangled', hello Rapunzel.

And thank YOU, Melissa!

It's All About the Cake

2011-10-28T09:42:00.000-07:00

Well, Scarly's 1st birthday came and went...and it was all about the cake.

Bryce made a decadent white cake from scratch for Miss Scarly Jo

and an Apple Cheesecake Brulee for the peasants.

Both were delish and horribly addictive.

Even if the cheesecake melted.

Aaaand...She's Off!

2011-10-26T11:02:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning, I ran my first 5K since 2009.

Yep. Woke up early that morning, got dressed, went to the site and asked my friend, Jen, as we started running..."Why are we doing this? We're crazy!"

But I did it. I ran 3.26 miles in 33 minutes 20 seconds.

Before the craziness.

Our triumphant return!

All my supporters: Nichole, baby Tae, Mom, Sue, B, Sam, Piper, Scarly & Grandma!

My happy little family!

Sue, the avid videographer, made me a sweet video for my run.

My family arrived the night before and STILL got up early to come support me!

They were all great cheerleaders, although Piper started crying when I ran past them to the finish line. She wanted me to stop and give her a kiss. Silly Piper.

How He Loves

2011-10-24T15:29:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday was our church's celebration of 10 years- we had a big service at Desert Hills High School and may I just say that worship rocked!

Sue, my mother-in-law, shot this footage of one of my favorite songs. The audio isn't fantastic, but it's still a great song.

I'm extremely blessed to be the worship leader for such an awesome church. I really feel like this is where God wants me to be right now and I enjoy leading worship (99% of the time, that is). It's one thing to schedule the songs and the team members, but to have the honor to be up there, leading God's people into a time of worship is such a pleasure for me. There's nothing more that I love than singing (well, other than my family)- not even a cup of chai!

So, here is, for your viewing pleasure, "How He Loves" by SMCC: the Spring's worship team (just ignore the sour note at the beginning):

One is the Lonliest Number

2011-10-21T15:03:00.000-07:00

Scarlet is one.

I have mixed feelings. I am so happy that she made it alive?? Okay, maybe not that one. Let's see...she's so stinkin' cute, especially when she comes barreling down the hallway on her hands and knees with a big grin on her face, trying to get to me as fast as she can. I love that. I love HER. But this is it. The last first birthday. Sure, she's still a baby in some ways.

Aaahhh, why is it that I can't put into words the way that I'm feeling? Helpless, that she's growing up. Slightly doubtful, that Bryce and I made the right decisions. Elated, that she is a beautiful baby girl and a happy one, for that matter too. Sigh.

Ah, before I get all crazy emotional (and it doesn't help that...well, girl stuff I guess), let's just roll out the pictures of her Royal Scar-ness:

Welcoming Scarlet Josephine to the world.

Love.

Mommy & Daughter.

ONE YEAR LATER

So happy!

Rolling around.

Munchin on some grindage.

Zoolander!

Who me?

She is getting so big and the time is just flying by. But I have enjoyed my toothless wonder so much and I am excited to see what this next year will bring for her.

Fun Stuff:

She has 2 teeth.

She crawls like the wind.

She likes to empty out the silverware compartment in the dishwasher.

She loves spaghetti squash with lots of butter & garlic.

She bobs her head when she hears music.

She babbles all the time.

She likes to pull Piper's hair.

She tries to brush her hair.

She is going to have straight hair like Sam, but brown hair like Piper.

She says, "Ha. Ha." It cracks me up.

She loves her daddy oh so much.

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY, SCARLET JOSEPHINE!

Thoughts on the Day...

2011-10-20T09:06:00.000-07:00

With Scarlet turning 1 tomorrow, my brain has been going to into hyper-drive.

"Why? I thought you were all done with the babies and that you were happy to be done?"

Yes, the above is true- but I'm becoming sad that my kids in general are growing up. Piper's face doesn't have that "baby fine-ness" to it anymore and wants to cut her hair short. She likes to dress herself and wants to be a Mommy when she gets bigger (doesn't help that she's 10 feet tall...according to herself, that is). Samantha's words are becoming clearer and she's not having accidents anymore during the daytime. Thankfully, she still likes hugs and kisses and wants me to carry her around. Scarlet...well, she's not a little baby anymore! She's trying to walk, she babbles all the time, she doesn't really want to nurse anymore. What's next, a curfew?

I know that all moms are going through this, as I'm sure my mom did with me and my sisters. How do you feel all this crazy emotion and still be sane? It seriously makes me want to cry. Yes, I enjoy having "me time" and I enjoy seeing my kids learn new things. I know this isn't Never Land and one day, my kids will be gone.

AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

I think this is too deep for me to be thinking about in the morning, considering my coffee cup is still only half full. But let me leave you with this:

I love my girls so much that my heart hurts. Sometimes I think that my heart is so full of love that it is going to explode. Even when my girls are being bad and want to strangle them, I still cry inside because of the love I have for them. Looking at their baby pictures makes me want to cry out for yesterday; but yesterday is gone. All I have are the moments RIGHT NOW. I don't know if I'll be here tomorrow. I don't know if my girls will be here tomorrow. So I am going to take the moments that I have to show my girls that I love them. I hope that when they get older and I am gone, they will remember my love.

One Year Ago...

2011-10-19T14:40:00.000-07:00

...I looked like this:

Yowza! Big ole baby in there!

Presently, I look like this:

And my snazzy apron:

As the younger generation would say, "Hawt!" (I'm talking about the apron, of course- don't want anyone thinking I have a big head or anything.
Sheesh! No diva here!)

I feel good about myself and feel good about
the way I look.

I am presently happy with my state of being.

However, I am always looking to improve
thus state of being by running;

I have a 5K on Saturday and I think I might be crazy.

Chalk it all up to nursing, running, eating less ice cream (and probably drinking less chai)

and there you have it.

Just a Wee Glimpse

2011-10-08T21:37:00.000-07:00

I LOVE my purple hair.

Busy as a Bee

2011-10-07T22:15:00.000-07:00

Same excuse as always, right?

Not in this case. I simply have not had the time to sit down at my computer for more than 10 minutes at a time in the last month. Facebook? Well, that takes like a second, so don't bother with that one.

Between Zumba, leading a Bible study, co-leading a teen group, worship practice, worship leader duties, baby showers, trips to Cali, trips to Salt Lake, spending time with the hubs and the kids...yep, not that much free time. Knitting, scrapbooking, tootling on the net...all gone.

But, I am taking time now to let you in on a secret: it will remain this crazy until after Christmas. That's right. Things will not only be picking up speed, they will be traveling at the speed of sound. I have the enormous duty of putting together a phenomenal Christmas concert here at SMCC: The Springs. That means multiple practices, last-minute changes, mental breakdowns. You name it, it will probably happen.

I really hope to have time after the girls go to bed to keep all my peeps in the know (meaning probably just the one person who checks in once a month). I would LOVE to tell you how Scarlet is standing on her own more often and even took a solid step tonight. I would LOVE to tell you how Piper is embracing a larger vocabulary by adding words such as "simply", "clearly", "obviously", "Yes, Mother" and tee-hee-hee-ing like an old lady over her tea. I would LOVE to tell you how Samantha is growing sweeter and sweeter and gives the best hugs in the world. And I desperately want to show off my purple hair.

Vain? Maybe.

Piper & Ariel, Part Two

2011-09-03T08:30:00.000-07:00

The epic meeting of Ariel, Prince Eric, Piper & Eeyore:

Piper & Ariel, Part One

2011-09-03T08:22:00.000-07:00

Last night, it was our pleasure to take Piper to her very first play. We went to Tuacahn (our prestigious outdoor amphitheater) to see Disney's The Little Mermaid. I was a bit worried because it didn't even start until 8:45 PM and my Pip goes to bed at 8:30. Hmm.

But she was super excited and all dressed up, ready to see Ariel.

She brought ever faithful Eeyore along too.

Oh, Piper did fantastic! She loved the singing, although she was very upset when Ariel would sing after Ursula had taken away her voice (Ariel was supposed to be thinking out loud). She would say, loudly, "What? Ursula took her voice away. She's not supposed to talk!"

The best part was when she asked me if she could call Ariel. I thought she must mean yelling Ariel's name...she let out the loudest "whistle" you've ever heard. The "hey-you-look-up-here" whistle.

Except it wasn't a whistle.

She screeches in a high decibel and it sounds like a whistle. I may have to have her do it on video so I can prove how crazy it is.

Anyhow, it was a great production. Afterward, the cast came up to the top and you could meet them. We immediately began our trek over to Ariel and waited in line. Piper was insistent from the beginning that she wanted to meet Ariel. And meet her she did! She was so excited she about knocked over Ariel. Then, she began crying. I think the fact that it was almost midnight, plus the excitement put her over her limit. It was the sweetest thing in the world.

She was out before we even left the parking lot.

A huge thank you to our friends, Jen & Kevin, who invited us along.

Well done, my friends (even if you do have sleep lines on your face, Jen)!

That's How She Rolls

2011-08-26T13:21:00.001-07:00

Piper is definitely my daughter, straight down to the way she makes up songs all day long
AND her sense of style...

I think she's channeling Madonna.

It was at least 108 degrees outside and she wears mittens...

Nope, still only August.

My fav:

Eff you paparazzi!

I heart her very much.

She's a Grand Old Flag- Reverse That

2011-08-13T15:02:00.000-07:00

Let's backtrack to the 4th of July, Independence Day, Uncle Sam's Birthday, The Day the West Was Won (wait, scratch that one off):

We can set off fireworks on our own out here in good ole St. Jezzy, so that's what we did. We hung out at Phil & Melissa's house; rather than trek out with the crowds to watch the fireworks, we had our own show.

Some highlights:

Taking portraits in the grass

Somersaults

Wee little praying mantises

Posing with fireworks

Hanging out and having fun

Tons of fun, as usual. I'd say this 4th ranked right up there with the bests.

Bryce & Phil

2011-08-09T15:09:00.000-07:00

They could have their own sitcom and it would be hilarious. Everyone would be watching it Monday nights at 7 PM EST.

People would rush to bryce&phil.com and order custom Bryce & Phil bobble-heads. There would be t-shirts, mugs, Halloween masks, perfume.

And I would be reaping all the benefits because I thought of it first.

Yes, that is B on Phil's apron.

Long live the dynamic duo!

My DIY Happiness

2011-08-06T13:07:00.000-07:00

Every now and then, I find myself feeling crafty. Usually, some kind of event precedes it, but hey, I'm not complaining. That means it gets done and might actually look good.

I have a reason to brag.

My upstairs office/library/guest room is officially (kind of) decorated on one half. Please share my excitement with me!

So, I shared a pic of my new curtains in the last post.

They are the curtains that I MADE for our upstairs room. I also bought new bedding, pillows and even made a few pillows to match the curtains (I officially love Jo-Ann's Fabric).

Here are my pillows.

I love the yellow and black. It's not something I would ordinarily decorate with, but I decided to do something different for once.

The curtains...are made out of sheets. Don't be hatin'! They're also hemmed together with hemming tape. Thrifty or lazy? How about both? HA!

And I love them.

I find myself wandering upstairs just to look at them.

I've made 2 sets of curtains this way already, but without the fabric. Plus, they're a lot longer. I'm going to be making some for my bedroom now. I think I'll document it so I can put it on here. It's so stinkin' cheap and easy.

Anyways, I can't really paint up there because I'm not really sure what color to paint. No one really goes up there since we hardly ever have company. Any advice?

Awesome Reasons Rock

2011-08-03T11:57:00.000-07:00

In the middle of July, my mom, sister and nephew came out to visit us. There were a few reasons why their visit was awesome.

AWESOME REASON #1: I got to meet Tae for the first time.

Isn't he the sweetest thing?

My favorite picture of all.

AWESOME REASON #2: It gave me an excuse to decorate the "guest area" upstairs.

New bedding, new pillows, my own pillows and HOMEMADE curtains! (Love them? I'll tell you how I made them.)

AWESOME REASON #3: I found out that Samantha has freckles on her face.

I about cried 'cause I love them so much.
(Click on the picture and look...they're there.)

AWESOME REASON #4: I got to take some ultra-cute pictures of my girls. Time to update the wall again, I think.

AWESOME REASON #5: Of course, seeing my mama and sister made me quite happy and filled up my "I miss my family" sad spot in my heart...for a little bit.

The Craziness of Raising Three Girls

2011-08-01T13:58:00.000-07:00

Before I begin, I would like to give a big shout-out to my hubs, Bryce, for talking some sense into me when I said I wanted four kids. Because you know we would have ended up with four girls. That's just how we roll around here; we don't make boys.

So, life has been kind of crazy around here lately. You've got a mama who not only is busy with church stuff/life/chai tea, but has also been welcomed back into that world of monthly I-want-to-kill-something-and-then-eat-a-ton-of-chocolate-don't-tell-me-I'm-overreacting-oh-so-now-I'm-fat episodes.

Don't forget the four year-old who knows everything AND apparently became a mother herself, since most of her time is spent parroting phrases that only a parent should use (especially in times of distress); a two year-old who thinks she runs the house; and a 9 month-old who has a split personality.

Bryce is Bryce. No change there, thank goodness for that. I'm sure there's days he wishes he had been sterile 0r gay. Or both.

This is how I felt last week:

And I wasn't even on my period yet.

But I love my girls. Even when I feel like strangling them, I remember how much I love them. And they still love me too.

After all, according to Piper, "You're my bestest Mom ever."

I heart you, Piper.
Now go back to your room.

Let's Do This Thang!

2011-07-30T15:48:00.000-07:00

I took some time off from blogging. I'm sure the 2 people who actually read this were somewhat disappointed.

I felt like my blog was becoming stale, stagnant, blah.

It was the same thing every time:

"Look how cute my girls are!"

"Look how big Scarlet is getting!"

"Look how I don't have a life and only blog about my kids."

I know that my family loves to be updated about the girls and since I refuse to create tons and tons of folders on my FB page, this is the only place they really get to see them. So, while taking my break, I was depriving my family of the darling three.

Sorry.

I'm re-energized and ready to re-vamp the bloggity blog. I'm going to post whatever I feel like posting and it may or may not include the craziness of raising three girls...and a bird...and Bryce too (why lie?).

Okay, I'm totally done venting now. Let's see if I can find some time tomorrow to get on here and describe what it's like to be a leader for a bunch of crazy teenagers at church, considering most of them will be here, at MY house, for a BBQ.

I just might be insane.

Idaho Vacation Part One: Road Trippin'

2011-06-12T14:15:00.000-07:00

That's right, we be road trippin'...or wait, we WERE road trippin'....um. Yah.

Anyhow, we road "tripped" it up to Sandpoint, Idaho for a mini Daugherty family reunion/mother-in-law's 60th birthday celebration/our family vacation. Oh yah. Add some antelope, running out of gas on the lake, a quad ride, the best brisket and an interesting moose story, then you'll have our last week.

Awesome.

Thus begins Part One of our Idaho Vacation. I present to you,

ROAD TRIPPIN'

Starring:

Bryce, the driver.

Me, the ever lovely navigator.

Sam, the noise-maker.

Piper, the storyteller.

And Scarlet...the sleeping/happy baby.

Day one, we made it all the way up through Utah and into Idaho.

These are from Northern Utah:

Pretty hills and snow-covered mountains.

Quaint little farms with obscene amounts of cows.

Movin' right along on the 1-15 North.

It was too dark when we got into Idaho to take any pictures. We stopped for the night at Pocatello. We do not recommend the Super 8 only for the fact that the bed was horrible. Nice customer service and decent continental breakfast the next morning.

Day 2, we made it from Pocatello, through Montana, back into Idaho, up to Sandpoint.

Our sweet driver, chatting it up with his dad.

Our fearless pioneer Mama, with a twinkle in her eye.

Sam with "Roo-us", "bang-it" and "udder bang-it".

Piper, the constant snacker and movie critic.

And Scarlet, the STILL sleeping/happy baby.

Some of Montana's gorgeous landscape:

We stopped somewhere to fill up on gas and eat. The girls were very happy to be out of the car.

Chillin' in the back.

Yummy in the tummy.

It was fun; a lot of stopping (which is imperative when driving with three little girls), a book on tape, some movies, a bald eagle sighting, lots of deer and bison and a near encounter with a deer about to pop onto the highway.

I have to say, our girls are FANTASTIC little travelers. We are so freakin' lucky.

Stay tuned for Part Two!

Boppy Yourself

2011-05-18T15:15:00.000-07:00

Ummm....my family is crazy. We have this weird thing with taking odd pictures. How funny that Piper is keeping up with tradition.

She is NOT holding the Boppy , but we still thought it was a funny picture.

This was all Piper.

4 years difference in pics and it's still funny to me. And probably funny to my sisters. And my mom. But not Bryce; get that straight! He thinks we're super weird.

He's SO right.

Photo Shoot Phun

2011-05-17T13:51:00.000-07:00

I took, like, a gazillion pictures of Scarlet last week...I'll blame it on the fact that she is out of 3-6 months clothing and into 6-9 months now and there were some cute outfits that I wanted to capture:

This was mine as a baby.

This dress too.

And this one.

And this one.

So much fun to dress up little girls...I might have to do one with the big girls now too.

According to Piper

2011-05-15T14:12:00.000-07:00

#1: "That must be the bad guy."- said at Costco when she saw an older man, with a handlebar mustache walking towards the cart.

#2: "They're probably at home hanging up Christmas decorations."- said about the cows when driving past our little cow farm on the way to church. I had asked her and Samantha where those cows were.

#3: "Yah, I think everyone gets hair stuck in their bobo...oh, a little poop just fell out."- talking to her Grammie on the phone while using the restroom. Bobo is our word for their bottom...and I guess she had a hair stuck in hers.

#4: "Well, I think maybe tomorrow I'll marry Aiden...or maybe in six years."- as she is giving me one of her usual lectures.

#5: "Can I color on the cockroach?"- pointing at the big dead cockroach on our back porch with her chalk.

This Is Me

2011-05-14T17:20:00.000-07:00

This is who I am today.

I am happy.

I am healthy.

I am a runner and I love it.

I am NOT a dishwasher, therefore my sinks shall remain full until B gets home.

I am pretty sure I'm going to sign up for a Midnight 5K at the end of the month.

I am a hugger and kisser, especially when I see my three little smiles.

I am 30 and feeling like I'm 29.

I am a worship leader.

I am still nervous about being a worship leader.

I am ecstatic for a new mom that she was able to overcome infertility.

I am a shameless blog-stalker (see above comment).

I am having a hard time abstaining from chai tea for three weeks.

I am ignoring the fact that my three children are dirty.

I am debating as to whether I shall bathe those children tonight or not (probably should).

But I am happy and that's all that really matters.

Nummers!

2011-05-13T14:17:00.000-07:00

Baby talk for "This is yummy, even though I would NEVER eat it."

Bananas with some B-milk...mmm?

I think so!

And my all-time fav:

Let's munch on some grindin'!

She's been eating "lunch" now for about 2 weeks and she loves it! She showed no interest whatsoever until one day, gimme that cracker! We've had bananas, carrots, peas and sweet potatoes, with the occasional pizza crust thrown in.

This time, I'm trying something different. Instead of replacing a feeding with solids, I nurse her first, then let her eat. Since she's my last baby and I love nursing, I don't want to give any of it up yet. She still wants both and that's fine with me.

Pic of the Day

2011-05-10T13:56:00.000-07:00

In the Cold...April Easter Rain?

2011-05-05T21:50:00.000-07:00

Easter was quite a whirlwind at our house this year. It was my first major holiday as the worship leader at church, so I had to be there super early. I missed out on getting my girls dressed, but I think Bryce more than made up for my lack of being there.

I melted when I saw this picture.

Babies...nothing sweeter.

Piper was desperately wanting to get back to her basket.

What a ham, seriously!

Soooooo precious!

We came home, saw that the Easter Bunny dropped off some goodies, then headed off to the Wiebes house for some food.

Umbrellas, books and sunglasses...what a haul!

Chocolate is an Easter staple.

Back over to Jake and Angela's 'cause the Easter Bunny left some eggs there...in the very cold wind and rain.

On the hunt!

Egg tossing?

Explaining what came first...the chicken or the egg.

Home to warm beds and sweet dreams.

Rock the 80's

2011-05-05T21:25:00.000-07:00

I think from my 29th birthday and on, I immediately told everyone that I was having a surprise birthday party for myself when I turned 30... and it kind of happened that way. I told B that I wanted a party, but I didn't want to plan anything.

True to that fact, I had a surprise birthday party while knowing that I was having one...if that makes sense.

It was an 80's themed birthday party and Oh. My. Gosh. It was so much fun!!! Karaoke and a d.j. with ALL 80'S music...seriously awesome.

A HUGE shout out to my good friend Kerra Ryan and her sis, Sarah, for throwing the whole shindig together and an even HUGER shout out to the hubs! He may not have really planned anything, but he got it in motion and that means so much to me!

Thank you guys, so much! You made my 30th birthday the best birthday ever!

I Can DIY Too!

2011-05-05T14:56:00.001-07:00

Sadly, as of late, I have been insanely busy...well, more like I don't have time to sit and go through the millions of pictures I've been taking and put them on my blog. Sheesh!

But look what I did find time to do...

Ah yes, the endless DIY projects around my house... this sad, misshapen cardboard box had been storing Scarlet's "toys" (more like hand-me-downs from Piper and beyond). It was such an eyesore in her room (wait...now that it's clean, it became an eyesore).

ANYHOW!

Totally got off-topic. Behold, the box:

1. I cut off the flaps.

2. I used Liquid Stitch to glue the fabric onto the box.

3. I then glued the striped ribbon around the box and then on the front and back.

Now, it's the cutest little storage box you've ever seen...at my house, at least!

What I wish I would've thought of before I glued all of the fabric on: reinforcing the box with some good old-fashioned duct tape! Oh well...I still have another one to do for the living room! Hurray!

30 is the Magic Number

2011-04-27T15:02:00.000-07:00

That's right folks.
I am now officially a 30 year-old.
The magnificent day was yesterday and it was one of the best birthdays yet.

I woke up to my girls marching in with homemade cards and a plate full of orange slices, toast and eggs with goat cheese (yum). And to my surprise, I received JUST DANCE and JUST DANCE 2 for the Wii! (If you have never played this, it seriously is soooo much fun.)

I lounged around, did some laundry, treated myself to a taco salad from Del Taco, lounged around some more.

After B got off of work, the fam headed out to The Brick Oven. Not really my first choice for birthday meals, but I had coupons!

My favorite!

Scarlet had her first taste of cracker...and she loved it!

Not sure what it is yet.

Yum! Can't get enough!

We headed over to the dog park to fly some kites because, MAN, it was windy outside. It was so much fun! B kept trying to divebomb me with the fish.

Overall, a very happy birthday with lots of gift cards to Target, Kohl's and Starbucks.

Can I just keep turning 30?

WAY BELATED Introducing Reagan Natasha Ann

2011-04-12T19:03:00.001-07:00

Yah, so apparently I was in such a fog during the months of December AND January, I forgot to post about my new niece, Reagan.

Big. Fat. Dork.

Soooo....

Reagan Natasha Ann Erickson
December 28th, 2010, 7:53 AM
Weighing in at 8 pounds, 11 ounces and 20 inches long

I call her my Chunk a Lunk.

Beautiful, just like her mama!

Precious little Ray-Ray!

Congrats, super BELATED, to Courtney and Justin!!!

Introducing Tae William DiFrank

2011-04-12T18:51:00.000-07:00

I call him 'Winky'.
He's the newest member on my side of the family and the
FIRST boy in TWENTY years.
Totally awesome!

Born at 9:15 PM in AZ, on the 11th of April.
He weighed in at 7 pounds, 8 ounces and 21 inches long!

Congrats to my sister, Nichole and her husband, Michael, who is currently serving over in Afghanistan right now.
(He was able to be there via Skype...how awesome is technology!)

Who Doesn't Love New Things?

2011-04-10T13:42:00.001-07:00

Come on, it's snazzy, right?

I love it, but I think I'm just excited that Piper can get her own water now.

5 Months, 4 Years and a Whole Lot of Nothing

2011-03-31T12:28:00.000-07:00

Busy? Yep, that's me. Tons of stuff going on right now, which means less time for me on the computer.

Basically, my little Scarly turned 5 months old and weighs a whopping 16 pounds, 5 ounces! My biggest baby by far! Pictures? Here ya go:

So happy!

All dolled up for church (and I think this is the Sunday that she pooped OUT of her diaper, OUT of her bloomers, all DOWN her legs, ONTO the carpet and was jumping in it while in her jumperoo...poor Bryce).

Ah, the exersaucer pictures begin!

Tired Mama.

I found my feet!

Also, Piper turned 4 years old.

Yep. Scary, isn't it? Why do they grow up so fast?

Here's a tribute to my girl:

Born March 29th.

One year old.

Two years old.

Three years old.

*Sob* Four years old.

We threw her a little birthday party the weekend before her birthday.
We had the decorations...

Awesome cake...

Presents...

Friends...

And can't forget about the actual big day...

Here's to another year of fun (and probably more gray hairs)!

Happy Saint Patty's Day To Yah!

2011-03-17T16:10:00.000-07:00

Hello there!

We celebrated today with nothing more than wearing green, but were delighted to have our friends, Ayden and Morgan over to play.

(Just as a side note, it seems that Piper and Ayden already like to kiss each other...eek!)

So I present to you, Cassandra's St. Patty's Day Picture Extravaganza:

Jump for joy! It's St. Patrick's Day!
Erin Go Bragh!

Holy Mackrel, She's Alive!

2011-03-14T15:18:00.000-07:00

That's right, folks...I'm back from the dead. To all of you blogging moms out there with 3 or more kids, I salute you! Somehow, I can find time to drink a cup of chai and find some time to do a little knitting, but sit down at my computer for more than 5 minutes? Impossible!

Let's see...what have we been up to...

Well, Scarlet turned 4 months on Feb. 21st:

Not only that, but she weighed in at 14 lbs. 14 oz. at that doctor's appointment, got 3 out of 5 shots, has started drooling uncontrollably, still wants to eat every 2 1/2 hours AND started ROLLING OVER!!!!!!!!!
Yep, as of March 10th, she rolls onto her back from her belly.
Happy? Sad?
Yah, I feel the same way too.

Hmm...we (meaning me and my 3 girls) also took a trip to AZ for Nichole's baby shower and my mom's birthday:

Me being crazy as usual.

Me and my Chunk a Lunk (my niece Reagan).

Pip's usual "what did I do" face.

Me and Court with the babes!

Sam and I sharing some OJ.

Baby boy baking in here! FINALLY!

The cute cake my mom made for Tae.

Happy "29th" birthday, Mamas!

Here's the blanket that I knitted for Tae, my soon to be nephew:

Sa-weet! I love how it turned out!

And the blanket I knitted for my Chunk a Lunk, Reagan:

I think this turned out fantastic too. (Is it okay for me to toot my own horn???)

While in AZ, I finally caught up with one of my best friends from high school (how is it that I go to AZ so much and never see my friends?...LAME).

Hi Steve!

What else, what else?
OH! B and I celebrated our 7th anniversary yesterday.
Um, didn't take pics, but here's a throwback from back in the day:

Weird that we were ever this young...

Ummmm...I'm sure I'm missing something else,
but I think that is all of the biggies.
We've got Piper's birthday coming up in a few weeks, Sue and Cliff coming out to visit, my impending 30th...yah, I think that's it.

Hopefully, I'll be updating much more than once a month, eh?

Wall Decor

2011-02-16T13:25:00.000-08:00

When I said that I need to do more decorating in Piper and Samantha's room, I didn't mean this:

Or this lovely mural:

Piper was our featured artist. How do I know this?
#1: Because she confessed when I asked her.
#2: And because of this lovely smiley face:

Hey, I'm actually impressed.

Valentine's Day With The Girls

2011-02-14T11:48:00.000-08:00

Seriously, there's so much cuteness over here.
I'm surprised no one has thrown up from the amount of pink and red around here today.

First, we have Miss Scarlet's 1st Valentine's Day photo shoot:

Can't forget the bib:

And how about the darling onesie I snaggled from my sister (sorry Court):

Piper? Oh yah, she's here:

Samantha? Can't miss that blondie:

The sisters loving on each other...can't get enough of that:

And all three?

With me too?

Ah. Gotta love it.

Even though B and I don't celebrate V Day, I found this little something this morning:

Pure sweetness.

I would be remiss if I forgot to show you how cute they looked for church yesterday too.

How Bryce manages to keep from hugging and kissing all of us all day long is beyond me.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Seriously Lacking in Motivation

2011-02-12T14:47:00.000-08:00

And this is why I haven't posted anything in almost a month:

Can't really blog or even download pictures when you can't even get to your computer, right?

Yep.

Project #1, coming right up.

Two Years Ago...

2011-01-21T14:08:00.000-08:00

...this sweet baby came and changed our lives.

Yes, as of the 6th of January, my sweet Sammie turned 2. I had very mixed emotions about this. Although Scarlet is our youngest and therefore, our baby, Sam still held that place in my heart. She was my baby for the last 21 months. I was happy to see her growing up. But I was sad that she was no longer my baby.

Tears aside, I think she had a very nice birthday, as Bryce was due for his surgery the next morning and the girls and I were going to embark on our first road trip alone to AZ to visit my new niece. Yikes. Too much happening! Too much happening!

Okay- panic attack is done and over with, considering that was also two weeks ago. Hee, hee.

So, to recap:

Newborn

1 Year- she was SOOOO sick that day too.

2 Years- I promise her hair did look cute before dinner.

She is just too cute and is seriously my "unique" one. She makes my life so much fun and I couldn't imagine it without her.

We love you, Samantha Ann!

Recap- Family Fun

2011-01-20T13:55:00.001-08:00

The holidays are nice because you get to see tons of family and
MAN,
did we have family this year or what?

On Christmas day, we had two sets of grandparents, a cousin from Idaho, plus Jakey and his fam:

Angela, Josh and Jakey...tired after a looooong day.

Mom and the crazy people....but she loves it!

Grammie and her girls.

The Daughertys! (And yes, Cliff looks stunning with his new eye apparel.)

Grandma and Papa with the girls.

Noah and the chicks.

Seriously, Noah is the sweetest thing when it comes to babies. He loves them so much and I'm extremely grateful that he has been around all three of my girls while they have been infants.

Not to mention my family:

I think we're tired too.

But not tired enough to NOT look cute together.

Then we had my dad and stepmom in town right before New Year's:

Gampy chillin' with the girls.

Gampy and Nana with their little ladies.

Dad and I on our Harry Potter outing.

We had more family fun not too long ago,
but that's another post entirely...sheesh!

Recap- Christmas Dinner Delights

2011-01-19T14:49:00.000-08:00

Well, okay, this isn't EXACTLY about Christmas dinner, but I'm not fantastic at coming up with title names.

Anyhow, just a lowdown on how the rest of Christmas day went:

The girls and I enjoy a story while Scarlet napped.

My three Christmas cuties.

Josh, Piper and Sam making robots out of the Legos.

The glorious spread that lay before us that evening (courtesy of Bryce, myself and my mom...and it was right on time too, something I am NOT known for).

Cliff and Noah, doing their...thing?

Jakey and Angela being themselves.

Me, my mom and our friend Nancy.

Sue, chilling with Scarlet.

And of course, the unwrapping of more presents.

Can I just mention that I'm looking forward to NOT having an infant at Christmas time next year? It makes things quite harried.

Recap- It's Christmas Morn...and the Camera Battery is Dead

2011-01-18T13:56:00.000-08:00

Party. Foul.

Half my fault and half Bryce's fault.

But anyways, here are a few gems that I managed to take:

Classic Bryce...he really did like his Owl City CD though, with whom I have become obsessed!

Piper and "Wocket"- this is what she named him as he came from the book "There's a Wocket in My Pocket".

Samantha and her new set of "Ah-mo" books (that's "Elmo" for those who don't speak two-year-old).

Scarlet and her overexposed baby doll.

And a glorious shot of my new moon boots- actually, they're camping slippers, but with our lovely slate floors, it feels like I'm walking on ice in the winter time.

Recap- Christmas Eve Fun

2011-01-15T13:44:00.000-08:00

I love family pictures.

Don't you?

Recap- Two Months and Growing

2011-01-14T13:50:00.000-08:00

Happy Two Months, Scarlet (as of almost a month ago...sheesh)!

Here she is in all her two month glory:

You can tell she is well loved by her sisters!

We also had her two month check-up (on the 22nd of December).
She is officially:

12 pounds and 1 ounce
23 1/2 inches long
and blessed with a 15.5 inch circumference of a noggin.

She's definitely a Daugherty!

I'm Lame

2011-01-13T12:55:00.000-08:00

Okay, okay. I know it's been like a GAZILLION years since I posted anything recent, but hey, I've been busy! Having 3 kids 3 years old and under is a work out, not to mention that we had company for like a week straight, a birthday, a trip to AZ and a surgery to recover from. It's been insane!

So, I promise that IF I have time today, I will begin the monumental task of reporting all that has happened in the last month. And believe me, a lot has happened!

Stay tuned...

Piper, the Angel

2010-12-13T14:23:00.000-08:00

Last night, Piper was in her first Christmas program EVER and I was so excited to be the proud parent in the audience.

Piper was part of the "Heavenly Host" and I think she was the cutest angel up there (yep, I am completely biased).

My little angel.

Samantha had to have some wings too.

My child is the only one bending over (see red circle).

Also staring off into the distance (see green circle).

Also singling herself out as the "rebel" angel (see red arrows).

Here are the angels singing "Away in a Manger"...

...along with a great nose-pick.

Also singing "The First Noel"...

...with a break for Piper.

Overall, it was super cute and I think Piper had no idea what was going on!

Santa Baby

2010-12-11T12:53:00.000-08:00

I have to say it; our mall Santa this year rocked and so did my awesome kids:

No screaming.
No crying.
No scared faces.

Throw a sleeping baby in there and I seriously have the best Christmas picture:

Santa, you are awesome!

Please come back again next year instead of the creepy old guy we had last year who seriously had the same creepy smile for each picture (check out this post).

I'm Dying Here

2010-12-08T12:44:00.001-08:00

Today was the first day that I ran...to our "mailbox" and back (yep, we have a neighborhood mailbox). I'm not even sure it qualifies as an 1/8th of a mile roundtrip.

But I ran the whole way and back, briefly stopping to throw some Christmas cards in the outgoing mail slot and checked ours.

It literally took me less than 5 minutes and I feel like I just ran a mile.

Also, slightly depressing:

1. Body parts were jiggling that should NEVER jiggle.
2. I was huffing and puffing before I even got to the mailbox.
3. I looked like a sausage squeezed into capri sweats.
4. I was praying that none of my neighbors were going to come outside and try to engage me into conversation.

Needless to say, it was also somewhat inspiring.

So I think I'll do it again tomorrow.

Day Thirty- Serious Post #2: Running Ambitions

2010-11-30T08:24:00.001-08:00

Here are a series of pictures and what I loved about them:

February 2010, just finding out I'm pregnant, 1 month along and also in the best shape of my life.

April 2010, 3 months along; of course, loved the fact that I was showing.

July 2010, 6 months along. I still fit into some cute clothes and felt good about it.

Mid-October 2010, 9 months along and the biggest I've ever been (both belly-wise and weight-wise). And I think that was what I loved the best.

Late October 2010, 1 week post-partum. Glad to not be pregnant any more!

Beginning of November 2010, 2 weeks post-partum. Still feeling good about myself, taking it easy and cherishing the days (and nights).

End of November 2010, 5 1/2 weeks post partum.
I fit into normal jeans! No more elastic belly pants!

This is the first time EVER that I've ever been normal, pregnant and then not-pregnant all in one year. I love this series of pictures because they show how my body changed throughout the year. Maybe I didn't enjoy the changes, but it didn't make me love my body any less.

I'm not one to be concerned with weight, rolls, cankles... Oh yah, I LOVE it when I drop a pant size. I mean, come on now, is that a boost or what?

But I've come to the point in my life where it's not about comparing myself to every woman I know or see on the street; it's about loving my body the way it is, no matter what size I am.

I'm already planning on running my first 5K at the end of January next year. I'm excited. It will be the beginning of, what I hope to be, a good year of running. I picked up this activity the middle of last year and did it for a few months, just in time for a 5K in October.

I was in the best shape of my life. I looked good, I felt great! The best part was I felt so good about myself. Not only did it affect me, but it affected my relationship with Bryce. I can not think of one negative thing that came from being in shape.

I am SO ready to start that again. I feel good about myself most days, but I'm out of breath from going up the stairs. I'm out of breath walking up the street to our mailbox. I'm out of breath from dancing in the living room with Piper and Samantha. And THAT does not make me feel good at all.

I know I just had a baby. I'm not out of the woods yet. It's going to take some time and I'm going to be patient about it.

After all, I've got the rest of my life ahead of me.

Day Twenty Nine- Serious Post #1- Good Bye Baby Making, Hello Child Rearing

2010-11-29T21:53:00.003-08:00

When I found out I was pregnant with baby #3, I was ecstatic. Somehow I knew, all along, that I was not done having babies, whether Bryce agreed to it or not. Call it a mother's intuition or sixth sense...whatever. As soon as Samantha was born, I was already planning on when I would want to become pregnant again.

My goal was to have four kids; Bryce's was two.

Somehow, without knowing it, we met in the middle. Yes, he was in complete denial for two weeks that I was even pregnant, but after he accepted it, he admitted that he had only been mildly against having a third child. But he was set on one fact: there would not be a fourth.

At first, I only agreed with him to placate him. But somehow, throughout that pregnancy, I came to feel the same way.

I thought, 'I'll REALLY make up my mind when the baby comes.'

And Scarlet has arrived. In fact, she's been here for over a month already.

Have I changed my mind? No.

I'm actually more adamant about not having more kids now than I've ever been about having them.

Enter the post title.

The way I figure it is that I'm going to be 30 next year. I think that is the perfect time for ME (not every one else) to start a new phase of life. We planned our first two ladies, was surprised by our third and I am actually very okay with not having any more.

I'm ready to have a normal body. I'm ready to enjoy my girls growing up (not that I haven't, but having a newborn can be extremely preoccupying). I'm ready to enjoy more time with my husband. I'm ready and I'm excited. I can't wait to see what this next phase is all about.

It's kind of like finding out you're pregnant for the first time. You're excited and nervous. Are you ready to accept responsibility for more than just yourself? Is it going to be hard? Is it going to be easy?

This is exactly how I feel about raising my girls. I'm excited and nervous.

And a little bit sad.

Even as I'm sitting here typing all of this up, I'm getting a little choked up. No more babies. No more excitement of seeing that positive sign on the pregnancy test. No more cute maternity clothes. No more wondering if it will be a boy or a girl.

Sure, I'll bet a million bucks that I'll be sad about it every once in a while. But it has to happen at some point, right? I mean, there's no way I want to be like the Duggar family. Lord bless 'em and that's the life they want; but it's not for me. I don't even think I could handle a fourth kid, let alone nineteen.

So I'll cry when I feel like it. Eventually, there won't be any more tears. Eventually, I won't miss it at all. Eventually, when my sisters are complaining that they don't get any sleep, I'll be commiserating on the outside, but shouting HALLELUJAH, I'M FREE on the inside.

Okay, I lied.

I'll probably be shouting it in their face while dancing a jig.
Just 'cause I'm mean like that.

Day Twenty Eight- The Greatest Artist Ever

2010-11-29T21:53:00.001-08:00

Picasso? Monet? Michelangelo?

Nope.

It's me and you know you're super jealous.

Oh. Yah.

Day Twenty Seven- Christmas Is Aaaaalmost Here!

2010-11-27T13:08:00.001-08:00

Today is the day that I OFFICIALLY start decorating and celebrating the Christmas season.

How dare the retailers start marketing for Christmas around Thanksgiving? Or even around Halloween? BLASPHEMERS!

My goal this Christmas is to learn how to wrap presents nicely. Courtney always joked that you could tell which presents Cassandra wrapped because it was so obvious...they were HORRIBLY wrapped. Epic Fail.

Bryce seems to be the Master Wrapper around here, so I guess I'll be learning from him.

To honor this great occasion (meaning celebrating Christmas, not learning from Bryce), let us look at this classic picture from last year's Yuletide celebrations:

I laugh every time I see it.